Man in the Saddle

---

You'll have to hurry, Mr. Isham, or

you'll be late for your own wedding.

Nobody buys a drink tonight.

Boys, I'd like you all to shake hands

with Fay Dutcher, Skull's new foreman.

Will Isham sent all the way to

Texas for him to ramrod our outfit.

Happy to meet you folks. And

with my boss getting married...

this will be the biggest

night this town has seen.

So crowd around, everybody, we

got to do something about it.

"Do something about it."

The question is, what are

you gonna do about it, Owen?

The Methodist minister is here. So

I guess it'll be a proper wedding.

- The women have started crying already.

- What makes women cry at weddings?

Yeah, what?

You drunk yet, Owen?

- The bottle is still about half full.

- Then you're sober.

I don't know where they hide,

or where they come from...

but there's a lot of

pretty girls in town.

- Takes a wedding to bring them out.

- Maybe it's hope.

Antelope are running pretty

heavy over in Fremont Basin.

Guess it's time I had

another look at that country.

That's your trouble.

Always taking another

look at a piece of country.

Just fiddle-footed,

smelling the wind for scent.

- So you lose your girl.

- To a man like Will Isham.

Now...

the bottle's empty. Let's take a walk.

What for? You're always

taking a walk. Why?

- I'm tired of listening to long speeches.

- I ain't said nothing, but I will.

Owen, you and Prine and

me are just small ranchers.

Good neighbours, never

paid like Isham...

but that's no reason we should

always let him have his own way.

He is.

- Lf Laurie Bidwell was my girl...

- Drink up. It's Skull's treat.

- I'll pay for my drinks.

- Me, too.

Mike and Ike, they talk alike.

What have you fellows

got against Skull Ranch?

So you're Fay Dutcher?

They sure dress them fancy in Texas.

I said, what have you fellows

got against drinking on Skull?

- This is the Vird boys, Juke and George.

- We work for Owen Merritt.

- He sits right over there.

- Well, that explains it.

It don't explain nothing.

Will Isham didn't have to send clean

to Texas for just a ranch foreman.

- What are you, a professional

gun-hand? - Me? A gun-hand?

I'm a cattleman, sir.

I just carry this thing...

because my old mother thought

it looked pretty on me.

Yeah? It was plenty fancy shooting I

saw, the way you knocked off that bottle.

Just luck, plain luck.

I couldn't shoot my way

out of a chicken coop.

Lucky again. This

must be my lucky night.

Juke, George.

Owen.

I'm glad to see you because

I wanted a word with you.

You've got the floor.

I want to know how

you take this marriage.

If there's going to be trouble

between us, I'd like to know it now.

Will, I congratulate you.

You're sure?

The luck is yours. No complaints.

I want the truth...

and I want everybody

in this room to hear it.

I won't have rumours going around.

I said, I wish you luck.

Better let it go at that.

Let's drink on that.

Gentlemen, this is on Skull.

To the future Mrs. Isham.

Her health and yours, Will.

You'll excuse me...

but I don't wish to appear before

the Bishop with liquor on me.

Croker, I'm buying the house

for the rest of the night.

Mr. Dutcher already set

them up at your expense.

That's very generous of you.

Good night.

Well, so you're Owen Merritt.

Genuine pleasure meeting you.

Gonna be our next-door neighbour.

Not quite next door.

- My ranch is in between.

- Is that so?

Well, look at the groom

what ain't going to be.

You know, Laurie's old man is out there

bragging about his son-in-law already.

You know, she'll see that the

old coot is well taken care of.

You didn't have to do

that. He's drunk, Owen.

It's talk I don't like to hear,

from a drunk or from anybody else.

- You're likely to hear more than that.

- Take it easy.

This is my job.

On your feet, Bale.

Now get going. Head back to the ranch.

- What did I do?

- Get!

I hate to see a gent forget his

manners. It does something to me.

I must apologize for

my men, neighbour.

- Have a drink?

- No, thanks.

This is Will Isham's

night, so drink up, folks.

Will Isham had a reason

for buying you a drink...

in front of that crowd.

- Peace and good will.

- Good will, my fat aunt's foot.

You shouldn't have had that

drink. It ties your hands.

How long are you gonna

let Isham crowd you?

Excuse me, gentlemen.

Look, that's Laurie

Bidwell's wedding bouquet.

Now if I was you and you was

me, I'd mosey up them stairs...

and I'd get a rig and

drive around to the back...

and wait there for both of us.

But I'm not you and you're not me.

Owen, when I saw her

earlier, she wasn't smiling.

I tell you, Laurie's

heart's not in this wedding.

Maybe. But her mind's made up.

I'll meet you at the horses in five

minutes, then we'll leave this town.

- Clagg, what do you think of Owen Merritt?

- I don't like him. I never have.

From what I hear, you don't

like much of anybody...

and nobody likes you, either.

It's not worth the

powder to blow you apart.

Nobody in 500 miles would

stop to pick up the pieces.

Still, I might have use for a

Ione wolf like you now and then.

Just in case I don't get

around to doing my own chores.

Nan.

- Owen. - I'd like to talk

to Laurie if she'll see me.

She'll see you. But are

you sure you want her to?

Why not?

All right, Owen.

Laurie, are you sure

it's got to be this way?

- Is that all you came to say?

- It's enough, isn't it?

- You're condemning me.

- No.

You're the one that

made the choice, not me.

All I want to know is if you're sure.

I've got to be sure, haven't I?

- Then I wish you luck. So long.

- Wait.

You're coming to the wedding?

- No.

- Please.

To make the record complete?

Is it so hard to believe that I

can still take an interest in you?

Don't you understand that yet?

I guess I do.

You're an ambitious girl, Laurie.

You set your mind on

certain things long ago.

- I couldn't break up that.

- I was ambitious for both of us.

But there was a restlessness in

you I couldn't fight any longer.

- I got tired of waiting.

- I don't blame you.

You always figured...

you could make your mind

pull your heart along.

I hope you can.

I know what I'm doing, Owen.

We always argued too much.

That was one of our faults.

- Good night, Owen.

- Goodbye.

It's time to go.

I'm ready.

- Owen, you're a

putty-headed fool. - Shut up.

- Quite a party, boss.

- For this occasion.

- Here's to you and your bride.

- Why, thank you, Judge.

Congratulations.

- Best of luck.

- Much happiness.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you, Judge. Thank you.

There's enough champagne

water there to drown a horse.

Mr. Isham had it shipped all

the way from San Francisco.

- Won't you have some?

- I don't drink.

Nan.

Can I see you home from the party?

- Another night.

- You got a date?

No, but after helping Laurie

with her wedding all day...

I'm about run down.

- I wouldn't be good company for anyone.

- I wouldn't care.

Why can't we be friends

like everyone else, Nan?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes